Jolly Pumpkin Cafe & Brewery

Midwest Living Review

Karen Sorensen

Come to Jolly Pumpkin Cafe and Brewery for the beer, but stay for the excellent, mostly vegetarian food.

The Jolly Pumpkin, one of three brewpubs in downtown Ann Arbor (as well as one of three Jolly Pumpkins in Michigan), summons up a warm, old-fashioned feel thanks to its wooden plank flooring, long polished-wood bar and imaginative light fixtures from which dining utensils hang. This place may be best known for the Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bier and Bam Noir, but there is a large selection of brews from which to choose, including the Tortuga Ale Company Chocolate Stout and the Golden Manatee Belipago. Fans can buy all of the beers by the growler for carryout. If the beer here is good, the food on its menu matches it. Unlike most brewpubs, which offer the standard nachos, burgers and chicken sandwiches, the Jolly Pumpkin has put a lot of thought into its heavily vegetarian fare. While the JP Burger ($13), covered in melted cambozola cheese, is mighty fine, there are far more interesting options here. Try the smashed chick-pea panini, for example, or the red-chili tofu sandwich with kimchee, cilantro-green onion relish and shaved radishes on toasted farm bread. Whatever you do, do not skip the truffled French fries on the appetizer menu ($5). These babies, covered in truffle salt and fresh rosemary and served with a ranch dipping sauce, are absolutely addictive.